Red Hummus with Roasted Pepper and Olive Oil with homemade raw tahini

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Cooked chickpeas

1. 1
   Drain, reserving a cup of the cooking liquid.

   Colander

For the Tahini sauce

1. 2
   Grind the sesame seeds in a powerful blender about 3 minutes, until smooth paste forms.

   Blender

   💡At first the sesame looks like dry crumbs: keep grinding, scraping down the sides, and after a few minutes it releases its oil and turns liquid.

   💡In a food processor, grind in short pulses and check between pulses: it's easy to go from coarse to paste. (Sesame for tahini, on the other hand, is ground continuously.)
2. 3
   Taste and adjust the seasoning.
3. 4
   Mix the tahini, lemon juice, garlic and cumin and season with salt.

For the Roasted Vegetables

1. 5
   Char the peppers whole directly over the gas flame, turning, until the skin is black and blistered on all sides and the flesh is completely soft.

   Stove

   💡Charring directly over the flame gives the vegetables their smoky flavor; in the oven they soften, but the flavor is milder.
2. 6
   Transfer to a bowl, cover tightly and leave 10 minutes.

   Bowl

   💡The steam in the covered container separates the skin from the flesh, so it comes off easily. Don't rinse under water: the smoky flavor washes away with it.
3. 7
   Peel off the charred skin, remove the stem and seeds from the peppers and drain off the liquid.

   Colander

To assemble

1. 8
   Transfer the tahini sauce to a food processor, add the chickpeas, still warm, and process 3–5 minutes, until it is completely smooth.

   Food processor

   💡Grind the chickpeas while they are still warm: warm chickpeas grind into a smoother cream than cold ones.
2. 9
   Add the olive oil and mint and process for another minute.

   Food processor
3. 10
   Add the roasted pepper and process for another minute.

   Food processor
4. 11
   Gradually add the water, until the hummus is creamy and airy, and a little thinner than the texture you want: it thickens as it stands.

   💡Ice water, not ordinary water, gives hummus an airy, pale texture: the tahini emulsifies with it like mayonnaise.
5. 12
   Spread on a plate, make a well in the center and add the paprika.